Arrows of Promise (Kingmakers Book 2) (37 page)

All-Winter’s Festival was in full swing in Estole. The first
snows had come at the beginning of the week, as if simply waiting for the
festival before falling, and the people couldn’t be happier about it. The
streets were decorated with greenery and ribbons and (for once) not a trace of
garbage could be found anywhere along the gutters. No one was quite sure if it
was in fear of Ashlynn or in respect of the festival, but no one was looking
the gift horse in the mouth.

It had been a near thing, but they’d managed to get all of
the major projects done by the time that the snows came. The storehouses and
greenhouses were built and stocked with food, enough so that they would only
have mild food rations during the winter and early spring months. The highway
to Cloud’s Rest had been laid, with only the need for finishing touches come
spring. The mint was still turning out new coins, but in deference to the
festival, they were on half-days and only worked mornings. They still had
enough in circulation to where it wasn’t a problem and no one complained about
that, either.

Most everyone had houses up, although a few had some
unfinished rooms, and the new magical academy was finished (barring a few
practice rooms that the students carefully did not remind their master of). Some
people had worked well into the nights to pull everything off. Some claimed it
was a miracle, others that it was just hard work paying off, but Riana was of
the mind that it was probably a little of both. They had experienced an
incredibly rough year and the heavens might be trying to bless them a little to
compensate for that.

In honor of the celebration, Edvard had opened up the castle
so that they could hold the festival right there on the grounds. It had made
his staff want to pull out their hair on several occasions but the people loved
it and the grounds were packed almost to the point of insanity. The only clear
places were on the battlements and the ballroom, where the dancing was, and
even that room didn’t have much space to be had.

Riana gulped down cold cider and watched the dancers whizz
past her. She and Ash had arrived later because of the icy conditions of the
channel and it had been a fight getting inside. But now that she was here, she
could appreciate the heat of the room and the gaiety of the people and the
general happiness that was present in the air. Wanting to be nicely dressed for
the festival, she had worn her green gown from Edvard’s ceremony, as she didn’t
have anything else appropriate. It had seemed like a bad decision, almost like
wearing an ill omen, but now that she saw how everyone else was dressed, she
was glad she had. She would have looked very out of place here in anything
else.

The dance ended, everyone applauded the musicians, and
people walked off the dance floor to either find new dancing partners or
refreshments. Someone in the band strung out a note on the fiddle, cuing the dancers
up to the next song, and people rushed back onto the floor again.

From behind her, Ash slipped an arm around her waist and
snagged her glass, passing it off to someone nearby. “Dance with me,” he
whispered against her hair.

Alarm shot up her spine. She had never once danced in her
life! What was he thinking, dragging her out here? “Ash, I do no’ know the
steps!”

He relentlessly dragged her forward, a light of excitement
in his eyes. “You’ll be fine.”

She truly, highly doubted that but it was hard to say so to
that expression. He looked so happy to have the chance to dance with her.

A smile of encouragement on his face, he drew her right hand
up to rest on his shoulder, the other in the L of his hand. “Just follow my
lead.”

Didn’t she always?

Honor Raconteur grew up all over the United States and to
this day is confused about where she’s actually from. She wrote her first book
at five years old and hasn’t looked back since. Her interests vary from
rescuing dogs, to studying languages, to arguing with her characters. On good
days, she wins the argument.

Since her debut in September 2011, Honor has released over a
dozen books, mostly of the fantasy genre. She writes full time from the comfort
of her home office, in her pajamas, while munching on chocolate. She has no
intention of stopping anytime soon and will probably continue until something comes
along to stop her.

Her website can be found here:
http://www.honorraconteur.com
,
or if you wish to speak directly with the author, visit her on Facebook.